Golf ball washer



April 10, 1934. F. c. LERCH GOLF BALL WASHER Filed Feb. 21. 1933 36 Wed aler cg HIS ATTORNEYS Patented Apr. 10, 1934 GOLF BALL WASHER Fred C. Lerch, Benton Harbor, Mich. Application February 21, 1933, Serial No. 657,903

1 Claim.

This invention relates to certain novel improvements in golf ball washers.

This application is a continuation in part of my prior application, Serial No. 522,619, filed 5 March 14, 1931.

There are, in the prior art, golf ball washers which comprise a cylindrical or drum-like casing, a row of stationary brushes around the inner surface of the casing, and a rotary brush in the casing having a continuous row of bristles extending circumferentially therearound. I have found, however, from experience in the use of these prior art brushes that when the golf balls are placed into the casing and the rotary brush rotated the balls will not of themselves feed between the bristles of the rotary and stationary brushes but must be fed by hand between the bristles of the rotary and stationary brushes at the beginning of the ball washing operation. This is an objectionable feature of these prior art ball washers because when in use on a golf course the operation of feeding the balls between the bristles of the rotary and stationary brushes at the beginning of the ball washing operation is objectionable to the players. This is due to the fact that the brushes are usually wet and covered with sand, mud, and dirt from previous ball washing operations, so that in the operation of feeding the balls between the stationary and rotary brushes the operators hands become soiled. This is particularly objectionable to women golf players. It is, therefore, the principal object of the present invention to provide an improved golf ball washer which will overcome the above-mentioned defects of the prior art ball washers and which in use will not be subject to the above-mentioned objectionable features of the prion art ball washers.

More specifically, an object of the present invention is to provide an improved golf ball washer 10 comprising a drum-like casing, a row of stationary bristles extending around the inner surface of the casing, and a rotary brush in the casing having a series of gaps formed at radial intervals therearound and extending axially thereof; these gaps receiving the balls from the casing inlet so that when the rotary brush is revolved the balls, lying in one of these gaps, are fed thereby between the bristles of the stationary and rotary brushes without further manipulation by the operator and are, as the rotary brush is revolved, carried around the casing therewith and tumbled over and over and over in the gaps and thus secured and washed.

Other objects will appear hereinafter. The invention consists in the novel combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawing, showing the preferred form of the construction and in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred form of the new washer;

Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical sectional view of the same on line 22 in Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the same on line 33 in Fig. 2.

The new golf ball washer is generally indicated at 10 in the drawing and comprises a drum-like, cylindrical casing or housing 11 having a ball inlet and outlet opening 12 formed therein over which is arranged a hinged closure member 13. Arranged about the inner side of the casing 11 is a row of stationary bristles 14 which are mounted in brush backs 15. The end portions of the backs 15 are in turn attached to a common support which is in the form of a pair of strips 16 of flexible metal.

The closure member 13 is hinged to and forms a part of a lid 17 that is attached to the casing 11, as at 18, so as to close the open upper side 19 thereof. Formed in the front and rear edges of the lid 1'7 are grooves or recesses 19 and 20,

respectively. Overlying these recesses 19 and 20 and formed on the lid 17 are flanges 21 and 22, respectively, which extend axially of the rotary brush shaft 24. Also formed on the lid 17 at the lateral ends thereof and extending circumferentially of the casing are flanges 31.

The rotary brush shaft 24 extends longitudinally through the casing 11 and is journaled suitable bearing surfaces formed on the end walls thereof. The shaft 24 carries a pair of spaced clamping plates 25 that are made fast on the shaft 24 by set screws 26. Formed on and projecting inwardly from the inner side of each of {)5 these clamping plates 25 is a substantially square socket 27. Arranged upon the shaft 24 is a rotary brush which includes a series of spaced brush backs 28 having bristles 29 projecting therefrom.

To assemble the rotary brush of the new Washer the end portions of the rotary brush backs 28 are inserted into the pockets 2'7 formed in the clamping plates 25. The rotary brush is then inserted into the casing 11, the shaft 24 is slidably inserted through the holes formed in the clamping plates 25 to receive the same, and the set screws 26 are then adjusted to secure the rotary brush in position upon the shaft 24. The strips 16 and stationary brushes I l-15 are then fed into the casing 11, through the open top thereof, until the 1 10 stationary brushes assume the position of Fig. 2, thus forming a gap (Fig. 2) at the top of the annular stationary brush through which a ball can be inserted into one of the recesses 32 provided (Fig. 2) in the surface formed by the ends of the rotary brush bristles; the bottom of each recess 32 in the rotary brush being spaced from the ends of the bristles of the annular stationary brush a distance less than the diameter of the ball to be cleaned and at least as great as half of said diameter.

The lid 17 is then replaced in position with the end portions 30 of the strips 16 projecting into the recesses 19 and 20 under the lid flanges 22 and bearing against (Fig. 3) the flanges 31. The lid 17 is then clamped in place by adjusting the bolts 18. The lid 17 and its flanges 21, 22 and 31 then cooperate with the end portions 30 of the-strips 16 to hold the strips 16 and stationary brush backs 15 in place and against movement in and relative to the casing 11.

The backs 28 of the rotary brush are so arranged (Fig. 2) that a series of recesses or gaps 32 is provided between the bristles 29 of the rotary brush. These gaps or recesses 32 are radially arranged about the rotary brush and extending axially of the same and of the shaft 24 from end to end of the backs 15.

In the use of the washer the balls to be cleaned are inserted in the casing 11 through the opening 12, and the member 13 is then closed. The rotary brush which includes the bristles 29 is rotated by the handle of the shaft 24, and the balls which naturally fall into the recesses 32 are carried thereby for disposal and contact with the stationary brush elements or bristles 14. As soon as the balls pass a row or rows of stationary brush elements, they are rolled out of the initial recess and across two rows of bristles of the rotary brush, into the next recess, and so forth, the bristles of the rotary brushes and stationary brush elements scrubbing the balls as they roll between them.

Thus the aforementioned objectionable feature of the prior art brushes of having to feed the balls (from the position of the ball 33 in Fig. 2) between the rotary and stationary bristles, at the beginning of the ball washing operation, is overcome. Upon completion of the ball washing operation the rotary brush and its recesses or gaps 32 may be manipulated to bring the balls up directly under the casing opening 12 so that the balls may be conveniently removed from the casing after the completion of the washing and scouring operation.

A basin or trap 34 is preferably, through not necessarily, formed at the bottom of the casing 11 and communicates with the interior of the casing through an opening 35 formed in the bottom of the latter. In the use of the washer this basin or-trap 34 collects sand and dirt washed ofi the balls. This sand and dirt may be flushed out of the trap 34 and the casing 11 and brushes therein cleaned by running water through the casing 11 and trap 34 and out of the latter by way of a drain 36.v A guard bar 37 is extended across the opening 35 between the trap 34 and the interior of the casing 11 to prevent any possibility of a ball or balls working down between the bottom rows of stationary bristles (Fig. 2) and through the opening 35 into the trap 34.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction for carrying my invention into efiect, this is capable of variation and modification, without departing from the spirit of the invention. I, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as come within the scope of the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

A ball scrubber comprising an annular brush having closely spaced inwardly projecting bristles and having a gap at the top through which a ball can be inserted, and an approximately cylindrical rotary brush concentric with and lying within said annular brush, said rotary brush having a recess in the surface formed by the ends of its bristles, said recess being large enough to receive a ball to be cleaned, and the bottom of said recess being spaced from the ends of the bristles of the annular brush a distance less than the diameter of the ball to be cleaned and at least as great as half of said diameter.

FRED C. LERCH. 

